Shaving and "femininity" (again)

[Ace of Amethysts]

Hi all you non-binary/trans folks! I know it`s not really appropriate for me to be in this particular AVEN forum, so I`ll keep it as brief as possible.

I`m going ahead with giving up shaving my underarms as of today for personal reasons. I`ve vented about this before in a previous thread I started so I won`t say too much, but I just think that shaving of both the underarms and the legs is a needless practice imposed on female bodied people by society because... "femininity", I guess. <_<

[dissolved]

Maybe you should move to Europe where no one gives a shit if you have hairy armpits :lol:

[Ace of Amethysts]

Oh, I forgot... *hides*

[ThaHoward]

At least your legs will be smooth, and you will sweat less under your arms. I don't think body hair is particular nice, when I think of it, it would perhaps be better if I got rid of it :lol:

[Ace of Amethysts]

I`m pretty sure that`s not how sweat works.

[ThaHoward]

Doesn't it gather the sweat more? Like it is there so that it won't flow away. So in one way it is great to not get sweat marks, but it will smell more :lol:

So moral of the story, use a deoderant if you shave or not.

[RB-Louise]

I've taken the path of practically never shaving my legs. I wear long pants most of the time, anyway.

Supposedly, more hair causes more smell and the deodorant to not stick as well. (Not sure what kind of deodorant,. And only going on what my mom has told me about shaving underarms. Could or could not be true.)

[RB-Louise]

And, I'm sure you can find articles online praising shaving your armpits and those praising not shaving.

Really, it's personal preference and what you yourself want to do (or not do). :)

[Guest]

I don't see the need to shave for females. Maybe it's because I'm not really a guy that looks at appearances, or just like the natural looks instead of imposed by media.

[Ace of Amethysts]

Do I belong in this forum as a cis female?

[ThaHoward]

No idea why it is so. But perhaps hair represent masculinity? I mean. A man can't shave his arms, legs and so on. And having hair on the chest is seen as masculine and a beard. But again, having too much hair is seen as gross, and long head hair is seen as feminime, while a man having long head hair is weird. This hair for men and women are weird :lol:

Do I belong in this forum as a cis female?

Of course! :) It is for everyone, just as AVEN is for asexuals, sexuals and everything in between! :)

Do I belong in this forum as a cis female?

Of course! :) It is for everyone, just as AVEN is for asexuals, sexuals and everything in between! :)

[Jea]

In my part of Europe (France), people do care about it. I got bullied in middle school for not shaving my arm pits <_< (= I was like 13!)

Anyway, now I do it (I started that much later though), but only in the summer. I don't care enough to do so in the winter, and it's nobody else's buisness (ha, perks of being aro ace). But in the summer it does feel nicer for me. Then again, I admit it's a cultural thing, if it 'feels' better, it's probably because society made me dislike having body hair.

[Ennis]

Maybe you should move to Europe where no one gives a shit if you have hairy armpits :lol:

Actually, this is not entirely true. At least around here not shaving your armpits and legs will have an impact on how some people see you. You might be considered disgusting or a freak. Others, of course, don't give a damn.

[Jea]

Do I belong in this forum as a cis female?

anyone can post here, you are definitely welcome to ask questions about gender :)

[Ace of Amethysts]

No idea why it is so. But perhaps hair represent masculinity? I mean. A man can't shave his arms, legs and so on. And having hair on the chest is seen as masculine and a beard. But again, having too much hair is seen as gross, and long head hair is seen as feminime, while a man having long head hair is weird. This hair for men and women are weird :lol:

The definitions of masculine and feminine hair are weird indeed. :P

[RB-Louise]

In my part of Europe (France), people do care about it. I got bullied in middle school for not shaving my arm pits <_< (= I was like 13!)

When I was younger, I got shamed for not shaving the area above my lips. As a female. By another female my age. I was also in middle school, but I'm guessing I was more like 11 yrs old.

[dissolved]

Maybe you should move to Europe where no one gives a shit if you have hairy armpits :lol:

Actually, this is not entirely true. At least around here not shaving your armpits and legs will have an impact on how some people see you. You might be considered disgusting or a freak. Others, of course, don't give a damn.

Eh. My stepmother doesn't shave hers and travels around Europe a lot and has never had any issues. Probably helps that she's Dutch and doesn't take shit from anyone.

[Ace of Amethysts]

#DutchPeopleAreAwesome :lol:

[Suede (8)]

I'd have to agree with you at least a bit xD when I had to present as female, in the past, I absolutely hated shaving because I'm lazy I guess, hair grows back pretty fast and I hated how my legs felt and the itchiness on my armpits... nowadays the only thing I shave in my body is my face and not very often (:

Most women I know say they'd like to have zero body hair below the neck, but I know guys who shave their bodies too because they think their muscles show more without hair so to each their own I guess... anyone who has no problem with their body hair should be allowed to keep it without being frowned upon xD

[Little Sparrow]

Maybe you should move to Europe where no one gives a shit if you have hairy armpits :lol:

That might have been true in the Eighties, but no longer. I can speak for Germany and the UK. And I think even in the Eighties people in the UK frowned upon (German) Nena's hairy pits.

[Anthracite_Impreza]

I'm seen as female, never shaved, and have got plenty of stick for it over the years. The whole women shaving thing was started back in the mid 1900s by an ad campaign, before that no one expected it at all.

[Ace of Amethysts]

That`s right, Anthracite.

[ChillaKilla]

I only shave my underarms, as it's a sensory issue for me and I just can't abide by the feeling of having steel wool attached to my armpits. Legs and stomach, and... well, everything else is left alone :lol:

[ItWasNiceKnowingYou]

It's a personal preference type deal when it comes to shaving.... Unless something like a medical reason requires you to ( it sucks)

For example:

Shaving legs? Anywhere else on my body? Never have. Never will. Armpits are only because of a skin condition that I'm required to keep them low cut.

*shrugs* Screw social constructs. They're pointless

[Kimmie.]

I shave my bodyhair beacuse it makes me feel more feminine which make me more comfortable about myself. But that is maybe wrong of me then.

[Jea]

In my part of Europe (France), people do care about it. I got bullied in middle school for not shaving my arm pits <_< (= I was like 13!)

When I was younger, I got shamed for not shaving the area above my lips. As a female. By another female my age. I was also in middle school, but I'm guessing I was more like 11 yrs old.

that's terrible...children are cruel >.>

(I didn't even know some females shaved that area O.o)

[ninimusic]

Cis-female here, but I really want to give my opinion!

I shave my armpits for practical reasons (I sweat a lot), but they are almost never perfectly shaven (kinda like a man's stubble). If I have to go out and I wear a sleeveless dress, I'll make an effort, though. And in the winter, well... long sleeves, you know.

As for my legs, I have never shaved my thighs in my entire life. I almost never shave below the knee in the winter (maybe once a month?). In the summer, I shave when it gets itchy (maybe once a week) or if I wear a dress or shorts in public.

I never understood why society makes women, and even men, shave. What's wrong with body hair? And don't even get me started on pubic hair...

[Tanzanite]

bio-female here. Honestly, I only shave my hair when it's making me uncomfortable, like when I have too much armpit hair and it starts feeling less like hair and more like a cheap and loosely woven carpet. Otherwise, I mostly don't bother.

[ChillaKilla]

CW: Nethers and icky talk

People think a shaven pubic region is like a naked mole rat when in reality it's like a baby hedgehog with ingrown quills :P

[dissolved]

Maybe you should move to Europe where no one gives a shit if you have hairy armpits :lol:

That might have been true in the Eighties, but no longer. I can speak for Germany and the UK. And I think even in the Eighties people in the UK frowned upon (German) Nena's hairy pits.

You can't speak for the UK, you're one person. As I replied to someone else:

Eh. My stepmother doesn't shave hers and travels around Europe a lot and has never had any issues. Probably helps that she's Dutch and doesn't take shit from anyone.